Why do Spectors have a 2 band eq instead of 3 band eq?

I think 2 bands sound better. But why single out Spector? G&L has been doing 2 bands for decades. Sadowsky, too. I'm sure there are other companies that prefer it, too.

 

Some Spectors are 3-band. I also think that Spectors tend to be more mid-rangy than most other basses, though I don't know what they're reasoning is for the 2-band.

FWIW, I saw an interview with Roger Sadowsky some time back; he indicated that his preference for 2-band EQs stemmed from a belief that adding mids muddies up your tone. To each his own.

 

I have a Spector with a 3 band and feel it gives me many more options. It's not just adding mids... It boosts OR cuts low mids 400k or high mids 800k. I quickly mold the sound I want with the added options... my preference is 3 band hands down... so long as it is cut/boost.

 

I've been seeing quite a bit about this lately; especially in context of Stingrays. Given an A/Bing opportunity, the general feedback is that the 2-band sounds more organic, warmer, better, etc. I can see this as I believe the 2 and 3 bands were manufactured at different times maybe using different components.

I am fairly novice in my understanding of electronics, but I am really having difficulty understanding issue this with modern builders. Shouldn't a 3-band with the mids set flat be essentially a 2-band, and therefore have the same exact sound as a two band?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

Two bands means that there is less circuitry to degrade the tone, to some degree.

 

This makes sense. Thank you.

 

If you're considering getting a Spector Euro and decide you hate the 2-band, or even just hate the specific preamp that's in it, you can always have that swapped out and sell the old pre. I considered getting an OBP-3 put in one of my Spectors, because I think it's a great preamp when I'm playing by myself (I didn't, but I'm a band-with-PA-support kinda guy, so knob twiddling usually means I'm messing with the soundguy's mix).

I'm a big Spector supporter for a lot of reasons, but I personally believe the Spector Euro line is best bang for your buck once you're looking above an entry-level kind of bass: looks great, feels great, uses the same woods as the USA line, incredible craftsmanship, lasts forever, nearly indestructible finish, etc.

Is there anything besides the pre that's causing you to hesitate? If not, the pre is one of the easiest things to change.

 

But, good preamps will have an almost flat response (a perfectly flat response is not really possible). Most won't have a major audible difference if designed well.

 

That's why I said "to some degree."